When you evaluate your call center management, first call resolution (FCR) is one of the top performance indicators you should review. According to Gartner Group, “First-contact resolution is a tried and true metric”…”organizations should strive to increase FCR to improve customer satisfaction, decrease costs and increase support delivery effectiveness.” Maximizing FCR translates into lower operating costs and happier customers. Integrate these best practices into your call center training program to increase productivity and boost your FCR.

Improve Call Control

A virtual call center agent needs to be trained to keep customers focused on the reason for their call. If the caller wanders off into peripheral issues, it’s likely that some of their questions may be overlooked, resulting in the need for repeat calls. Call control includes the agent anticipating all the information the customer will need, rather than waiting for the customer to ask the right questions.

Keep Your Agents Informed

Call center sales depend on agents always being aware of new campaigns, programs, policies, offers and sales. Customers who initiate contact in response to a new offer they have seen online will be frustrated and dissatisfied if the agent is unfamiliar with the offer. The best practice for keeping agents well-informed is to send out an advance notice of all such new campaigns before they are rolled out to the consumer.

Set Reasonable Goals

While it’s good to strive for a high percentage of singe-call resolutions, it’s also important to clarify that this is not the only component of customer satisfaction. In some cases, a caller’s needs are better served by having the agent do some research and then calling the customer back, rather than prolonging the customer’s hold time. A good way to approach situations that require research is to offer the caller a choice between holding or receiving a return call.

Empower Agents

When your agents have the power to grant small favors on the spot, such as offering free shipping or adding extra minutes onto an account, many disputes can be easily resolved. Customers often feel grateful for small concessions, and having some independent power also boosts agents’ morale.

Ask for Agent Feedback

If company policies are creating difficulties, call center sales agents will be the first to notice. Whatever the reason for an increased number of callbacks, agents will be able to provide the most relevant information for understanding and resolving the problem.

Your FCR call center metrics depend on giving your agents what they need. When you support your agents by providing them with information, power and reasonable goals, they will respond with the highest-quality customer service.